by Sable Hunter
Laughing, he watched her pick up a starfish, point at a seahorse and wave at him frantically when a dolphin came close enough for her to touch. That was a dang big fish—mammal—hell, whatever. Reluctantly, he had to admit; this had been a good idea. He bet he would hear her talking about this for years to come.
Going up for another gulp of air, he looked around at the island. The Westin resort, where they were staying, was a five star hotel with every amenity a honeymooning couple could desire. All in all, the Caymans were a beautiful place with crystal clear waters and pristine white sand beaches. Aron was glad he’d brought Libby. True, if he’d had his druthers, they’d have gone camping in Wyoming. But pleasing her was pleasing him.
Taking another dive, he glanced around for his wife, always trying to be conscious of where she was. She reminded him more of a mermaid than he could have imagined, with long dark hair flowing behind her, that gorgeous body glimmering in the sunlight. The almost imperceptible swell of her stomach only made her more attractive to him, the evidence of their love. Okay, there she was and she was safe and happy. He raised a hand in her direction and she waved back.
So, what could he examine to amuse himself? Swimming just below the surface, so his snorkel tube stuck up for air, Aron paddled farther out, looking for his own brand of adventure. Noticing a small cave in the distance, he swam closer. This was intriguing, more his style than brightly colored fish and seaweed. Staring at the dark opening, he noticed something glimmering just inside, right where the sun-dappled sand gave way to shadow. Could it be gold? He grinned. Now this was more like it. If Aron McCoy was going to be messing around in the ocean, at least he needed to find some sunken treasure. ‘Arg! Matey!’ he thought as he drifted down to investigate.
Taking one last look in the distance toward Libby, who was nose to nose with some big orange fish, he ducked into the rocky opening and bent to retrieve the shiny object. Damn. Picking it up, it was obvious to him he’d stumbled upon something of value. Holding his breath past the point it was comfortable, he studied his find—a gold coin with the face of a beautiful girl. Gazing at the image from long ago, he smiled, realizing the woman could have been Libby. There was a distinct resemblance. He couldn’t wait to show it to her. Despite his burning lungs, he went a few feet farther, just to see if there were more gold coins on the floor of the cave. Hmmmm, there was none that he saw, but there was very little light filtering into the darkness. Maybe he’d come back with a lamp. Grasping the coin in his hand and needing air, he started to turn and swim out of the cave when the waters seemed to shimmer around him. Movement, like the world vibrated for a second. A muffled sound reached his ears. Aron looked up and saw a dark shape coming toward him. Rocks. It was a cave-in! Desperately, he started backing out. But he didn’t make it. A crushing blow to the back of his head made him gasp, losing his last bit of air. He swallowed water as he lost consciousness.
The last image Aron had in his mind was of Libby…
***
Libby had never had so much fun in her life. Since she entered Aron’s world, everything had changed. The idea that she could look forward to many years with the man of her dreams was flippin’ amazing. A blue spotted fish was playing peek-a-boo with her around some seaweed. The sun-dappled water looked like someone was spinning a huge disco ball overhead and a small sea turtle came right up to her and stared. Libby noticed while meeting his gaze that her eyes had crossed and she giggled. The giggle made her choke a bit, so she glided upward, kicking her feet as she broke the surface.
Where was Aron? She hadn’t seen him near her. Honestly, she halfway expected to glance up on shore and see him lounged out in all of his manly glory, half-naked girls in bikinis tempting him with grapes or something. But no, he wouldn’t go to shore without her, nor would he accept any bits of fruit from the fingers of sexy women. She would bet her life on the faithfulness of Aron McCoy. He would never leave her nor forsake her.
Dipping back down, she looked around for him. Why, that rascal. He had swum away from their area. She paddled out farther from shore, looking for him. Nothing. Hmmmmm. Surfacing again, she took another few breaths, then dove back and traveled parallel to Seven Mile beach. He had to be here somewhere.
Several times she saw something out of the corner of her eye, and would whirl around, expecting to find him right behind her. But he wasn’t. Libby began to panic, swimming to the left and to the right. She went up to the surface, countless times. She went to shore and ran up and down the sand, looking, calling, “Aron! Aron!” People stared at her. They started coming to her and she cried. Several helped her look. She went back into the water, searching and searching.
Libby didn’t give up looking, not until two men came and urged her to sit while they began looking in her stead. One of them called the authorities. “Help me, please.” She began to cry. “Help, Aron. I can’t find him.” Big hiccupping sobs racked her body.
“You need water.” Somebody urged her to drink. “You’re too hot.”
Libby felt sick, but she couldn’t stop. She pulled away from them and ran back into the water, not even putting on her gear. The people who were helping her, caught her, pulling her back and she literally collapsed, screaming Aron’s name at the top of her lungs. “Aron!”
A concerned couple called emergency services and a doctor from the hotel came down to see to Libby. A whole crowd of people hovered around her. After he’d learned she was pregnant and under such stress, the doctor wanted to call for an ambulance. But Libby adamantly refused to leave.
“Who can we contact for you?”
“Jacob McCoy.” She gave them Tebow’s main number. “I want Aron!” she wailed as her heart broke.
***
ON THE NAUTA YACHT – ISABELLA
“Señorita, come quickly. Paco has pulled a man from the water.”
Martina Delgado slammed her drink down and stood, fire in her brown eyes. “No! Is he insane? We can trust no one!”
“We assumed he was dead, Señorita.” The man held his arms out. “He was floating face-down.”
“Assumptions kill. Why would he bring a dead body on board?” Slinging a towel over her shoulders, she started walking across the top-deck of the Isabella where she’d been sunning. “The Toro Cartel will do anything to hurt me, even planting a bomb on a body to blow us sky-high.” Hurrying down the stairs, closely followed by her first-mate, she flung her long dark hair over her shoulder in frustration. “Did anyone search it? Where is this body? Perhaps he’s just a Cuban refugee.”
“Sanchez put him in your office on the couch.”
“My office? In God’s name, why?” Huffing her anger, she rushed down the hall. Pulling open the door, she found two men standing over a body laid out along a sectional sofa. “Stand back! Let me see.”
Most young women would feel uncomfortable surrounded by men carrying AK47s, but Martina didn’t even notice it. She was the Diosa de la Guerra, the Goddess of War, queenpin of the El Duro Cartel. Her reach was wide, her word was law, and anyone who got in Martina’s way paid for the indiscretion with their life. “Is he breathing?”
“Yes, Señorita.” Paco cleaned up the puddles off the shiny hardwood floors, before his mistress could slip and fall.
“There is bleeding from his skull. I fear he is injured internally. He needs x-rays and an MRI.” Juan Carlos, her personal physician, glanced at her for direction. “Shall we help him or let him die?”
From what Martina could see, the stranger was broad, tall, muscled-up, in other words ripped. Paco had removed his mask, but the victim’s head was turned, facing the back cushions. ”Let me see his face.” They rolled him toward her. She moved closer to get a better look. And when she did…
‘¡Ay, Dios mío!’ she thought with wonder. No matter how long she lived, she would never forget this man. The Texan, Aron McCoy. “Any identification?” Her voice did not betray her recognition or the emotion she felt.
“No, Señorita.”
Aron had vi
sited Los Banos twice to inspect the prize Criollo-Corriente bulls her father’s family had bred for generations. She placed a hand on Aron’s chest. The hand trembled. How many times had she dreamed of touching him? But he’d never more than acknowledged her existence with a polite greeting, even when she had blatantly come on to him. “Do not let him die.” As much as she tried, Martina could not keep the concern from her voice.
“Shall we take him back to shore? I can make some calls.” The doctor took his stethoscope and listened to the patient’s heartbeat.
“Can’t you help him? We have the necessary equipment on board.”
Dr. Carlos started to speak, but he was interrupted by Captain Fernandez. “Diosa, I have been alerted of earthquakes. There is no tsunami alert, but I would feel better if we headed out to open sea.” The elegant older gentleman, intensely loyal, spoke from the doorway.
Martina tore her eyes from Aron. “Is Alessandra back?” Her sister and her bodyguard had taken the banana boat to the island so Alessandra could do some shopping. The younger Delgado sister lived a different life from the elder—less worry. And that was the way it should be.
“No, Diosa, shall I phone Ruiz?” the captain asked, taking his cell from his pocket.
“Yes, she needs to return quickly.” Martina walked to the porthole. Already she could see trucks and cars on the beach. A search was being launched, of that she was certain. “Leave me. I must think.” Her words weren’t harsh, but she was instantly obeyed. Displeasing Rodrigo Espinoza’s granddaughter could be hazardous to your health. For decades the cartel had ruled the Sonora region with an iron fist, transporting cocaine and heroin from Columbia across the border to America.
Going to her dressing room, she wet a washcloth with warm water. Pulling up a chair beside the sofa, she began to clean his face. “You are safe,” she whispered. “I will help you.” As she stroked his brow, Martina remembered the first time he’d visited Los Banos. She had been home from university on spring break, arguing with Tomas over the fact her new Maserati had a bent front bumper. As far as she was concerned, a new one was in order. Her father disagreed. Refusing to take ‘no’ for an answer, she followed him to the barn where he was meeting two American cowboys. From the moment her gaze fell on Aron McCoy her panties had been wet. The whole weekend he’d visited, Martina had shadowed him, coming on to him in every way she knew how. She’d touched him, brushed against him, even tried to play footsie under the dining table, but he seemed to be totally immune to her seductive moves. His second visit had been different. He’d handled all of the paperwork from the barn, staying only a couple of hours. Although the handsome Texan had never given her an ounce of encouragement, she had still fallen for him completely—lock, stock and barrel.
If only…Martina smiled. Now, he lay on her yacht at her mercy. She knew an opportunity when it reared up and bit her in the ass. She pondered her options; she could send someone ashore with him or she could keep him for herself.
Beneath her touch, Aron shrugged his massive shoulders and groaned. “Where am…what happened?”
“Be still. You must take it easy. How do you feel?”
“Like shit.” He threw the sheet from his body—his magnificent body. His right hand was tightly clutched around something. She wondered what…until she glimpsed the left hand and then the previous thought vanished from her mind like a poof of smoke. There was a wedding band on his ring finger. ¡Dios!
“You need to rest.” She touched his knee, attempting to comfort him.
“What’s going on?” He had a stunned, confused look on his face. “Who are you?”
“You were injured.” She grabbed her phone and pressed the number to call Juan Carlos back. “Do you remember how?”
“No.” Shaking his head, Aron closed his eyes as if in great pain. “No, I don’t remember.” Another groan slipped through his lips. “Head hurts.”
“Can you tell me your name? Is there someone I can call?”
Silence. Another groan. “No. I don’t know my name, I can’t remember…” His voice trailed off and he went limp. Aron had lost consciousness once more, and his breathing was shallow and erratic.
When the doctor returned, Martina hurriedly told him what she’d observed. He checked Aron’s vitals. “I’m going to give him morphine, 5 milligrams. While he’s resting, I’ll prepare to run the necessary tests to ascertain the extent of his injuries.”
Martina watched him give Aron a shot, standing by until his breathing evened out and he went back to sleep. “I’ll sit with him until you’re ready.”
“That isn’t necessary, Señorita.”
“It’s what I want. Call Paco and check to see if my sister is back on board and report to me.” She didn’t even look at him. Martina knew she would not be challenged.
Chapter Two
BACK AT TEBOW
“What do you want for your birthday, Badass?” Joseph asked with a twinkle in his eye. “It’s less than two weeks away.”
“I want a black cayenne Harley Street Glide with a batwing fairing and a split-stream vent.” A look of pure lust glazed Isaac’s eyes. He was sitting in a big leather chair in front of the fireplace.
“Are you gonna get a side car for Avery?” Cady asked with a grin.
“Foot,” Avery said her favorite fake-cuss word as she came up behind Isaac and kissed him on top of the head. “I want a matching bike. With speaker helmets equipped with Bluetooth, so I can whisper sweet nothings in his ear.” He wrapped an arm around her neck and pulled her headfirst over the back of the chair into his lap. She was giggling all the way.
The telephone on the desk began to ring. For a moment everybody ignored it, until Joseph got up to get it. When he picked it up, it was obvious Jacob had picked up the line in the kitchen because his voice could be heard trying to calm Libby down. Joseph put the phone on speaker, motioning the others over.
“Calm down, Libby. I can’t understand you, Sweetheart.” Jacob urged.
“I can’t find him, Jacob.”
“What? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Aron. I can’t find him.” She was crying so hard, her voice was shrill.
“What do you mean?” Joseph asked. “Where are you?”
“We went snorkeling off Seven Mile Beach, not far out and he didn’t want to do it…” Her voice faded.
“Is he okay?” Isaac demanded.
“I can’t find him,” she repeated, screaming. “He didn’t come up.”
Joseph, Isaac, Cady and Avery looked at one another in shock. Joseph disconnected and they all went into the kitchen where Jacob, Jessie and Noah were standing around the table.
Jacob was still on the phone. “God, Libby. Try not to worry. We’ll be there as soon as we can get a flight. You just sit tight.” He hung up and looked at his family. “We’ve got to get down there.” He looked to Joseph. “You go see Lance and get everything squared away here. Isaac, you call Roscoe and let him know and I’ll call Bowie Travis.” He pointed at Noah. “You get ahold of Kane and Zane. We’ve got to get to the bottom of this. I just pray by the time we get there, Aron will have shown up.”
Nobody moved right away. It was as if time stood still. “I can’t believe this.” Jessie wiped tears from her eyes. “They’re on their honeymoon, for God’s sake. What about Nathan?”
Jacob braced himself on the table, his hands visibly shaking. “I don’t want to take him with us, he has school. Besides, we don’t know anything yet one way or the other. There’s no use upsetting him.”
“I’ll stay with him.” Cady offered. Looking at Joseph, she spoke, “Call Beau and Harley, they would want to know.”
“You’re right.” He grabbed his cell phone to place the call.
The family began to prepare to fly to the Caymans, a trip they never thought they’d make. One of their own was in serious trouble, so they all rallied to stand by Libby, to give her strength. All the time, Jacob and Noah were on the phone, calling authorities and au
thorizing searches. Rescue teams were notified and Joseph alerted as much media coverage on the islands as he could, knowing it would go a long way in insuring that everything that could be done would be done on the rescue mission. Not being able to reach Zane on the phone, Noah drove out to his ranch, knowing they would need him on the trip. The shock sent everyone reeling.
When they were on their way, the trip to the airport was quiet. Jacob was driving, staring at the gleam of the headlights on the highway. “All I can think about was how much he disliked the water. What was he doing snorkeling?” Just the idea that something could’ve happened to Aron scared him to death. “What are we going to do?”
“We’re going to find him, Jacob.” Isaac was adamant. “Nothing else is acceptable.”
***
BANDERA, TX – LONGHORN BAR with BOWIE TRAVIS MALONE
The drive into Bandera from Vega Verde was only about forty minutes, but Bowie had been on the road so much in the past few weeks, he resented the time it took. If it hadn’t been for Tanner, he wouldn’t have bothered. But his friend was determined Bowie come meet Micah Wolfe and Tyson Pate who’d recently formed a company with other members of their former SEAL team. Tanner thought they would have a lot in common with Bowie, so he’d made arrangements for them all to have a drink together at Arkey Blue’s.
Bowie ran his hand through his heavy mane of hair. “Damn, I need a haircut.” His lifestyle was so haphazard, he neglected little things like visiting the barber shop. Finding a parking spot on Main Street wasn’t easy this time of night. Arkey Blue’s Silver Dollar Saloon pulled in the crowd, much more than the neighboring shops did during the day. He noticed there was at least thirty Harley’s parked close, also. Biker clubs loved to ride the scenic hill country roads and camp alongside the Guadalupe. With a grin, he wondered if Isaac McCoy were here. It had been a while since he’d seen him. Giving the biker/cowboy a hard time was one of his favorite sports.